Photograph by Louis Daria, Your Shot
Sustainable agriculture takes many forms, but at its core is a rejection of the industrial approach to food production developed during the 20th century.
This system, with its reliance on monoculture, mechanization, chemical pesticides and fertilizers, biotechnology, and government subsidies, has made food abundant and affordable. However, the ecological and social price has been steep: erosion; depleted and contaminated soil and water resources; loss of biodiversity; deforestation; labor abuses; and the decline of the family farm.
The concept of sustainable agriculture embraces a wide range of techniques, including organic, free-range, low-input, holistic, and biodynamic.
The common thread among these methods is an embrace of farming practices that mimic natural ecological processes. Farmers minimize tilling and water use; encourage healthy soil by planting fields with different crops year after year and integrating croplands with livestock grazing; and avoid pesticide use by nurturing the presence of organisms that control crop-destroying pests.
Beyond growing food, the philosophy of sustainability also espouses broader principles that support the just treatment of farm workers and food pricing that provides the farmer with a livable income.
Critics of sustainable agriculture claim, among other things, that its methods result in lower crop yields and higher land use. They add that a wholesale commitment to its practices will mean inevitable food shortages for a world population expected to exceed 8 billion by the year 2030. There's recent evidence, though, suggesting that over time, sustainably farmed lands can be as productive as conventional industrial farms.
Environment Quizzes
More About Agriculture
-
Food: How Altered?
re there advantages to genetically-altered foods and crops? Check out the discussion, including the questions of disease resistance, faster growth, and broader health effects.
-
Good Wood
Like other recycled materials, wood only improves the second time around.
-
Splendor of the Grass: The Prairie's Grip
In the Flint Hills of Kansas, the nation's last great expanse of tall grass prairie anchors a world renewed by fire.
The Green Guide
Shop National Geographic
Advertisement
Green Living Hot Topics
-
Organic Air Fresheners
Avoid toxic chemicals and create a calming space.
-
Surprising Recyclable Household Items
With a little know-how, you can recycle more than you think.
-
Side Effects of Vegetarianism
Find out how to stay healthy and eat lower on the food chain.
The Great Energy Challenge
-
Light Bulb Savings Calculator
How much can you save yourself, and the world, by switching to more efficient bulbs?
-
Can Bubble Curtains Help Whales?
Oil and wind power companies are testing a novel technology—air bubbles—to shield marine mammals from the sound of offshore operations.
-
Photos: Animals in Keystone XL's Path
The U.S. government's rejection of the Keystone XL project is a reprieve for the many species that reside along the proposed route.
Special Ad Section
The World's Water
-
Visualizing Our Global Water Footprint
You might be surprised to see how the daily choices you make affect critical watersheds around the world.
-
Why Care About Water?
National Geographic's freshwater initiative is a global effort to inspire communities to conserve water and restore rivers.
National Geographic Magazine
-
Photos: In the Field
Browse breathtaking images of life on the Serengeti.
-
A Thing or Two About Twins
Can the unique bond between identical twins be explained?
-
Visions of Earth
Browse stunning images of our planet as seen through a photographer's eye.
